Legends
by Lotuscandle
Summary: Don't mind him laddy. Thorin has more cause than most to hate orcs. (NO SLASH! extended/deleted scene. Might become a multi chaptered story, my mind is busy producing sequels.)


»Don't mind him laddy. Thorin has more cause than most to hate orcs.«

Of course they knew the story of the battle, the great battle of Moria, where Thorin's name came from. The legend of the oaken shield.

Fili and Kili had grown up with this tale, how their uncle slayed the big, white orc almost single handed. Kili had always taken it word by word, playing with his friends that he was mighty Thorin, using a branch as a sword and some random piece of wood as the shield. He had retold the story many times, adding a few minor details to impress his friends. Like the five dragons Azog was riding on, all of them as large as a mountain but too scared of his uncle to defend their owner. Or the winged wargs, equipped with metal claws as long as a dwarven arm and sharper than a battle axe. Or how the orcs could spit fire and breath poison. Really, just a few minor details.

He never meant anything by it... just like now.

The look his uncle cast him when he scolded them for their joke – well, Kili's joke actually, Fili had just jumped in and played along like he usually did – reminded him of a simple fact: this was not fiction. It really happened.

And his uncle had never forgotten.

Fili, being a little older and not as naïve as his brother, had long ago started to doubt the story was true at all. Of course, he would never doubt his uncle, but that was something else entirely.

No, he would never doubt him. Fili still remembered his father, remembered the day he did not come home. Ever since, Thorin had been there, taught him how to fight, told him stories and tucked him in at night when his mother was busy with the crying, dark haired baby.

He admired him, tried to be like him to some extend and was loyal to his uncle. But... the legends of the old times were just stories. Maybe stories about actual events, retold time and again to lighten up a grumpy mood, or maybe impress others, or just to have something to talk about at the bonfires at night. But nonetheless, only stories.

So when Balin started to talk, to tell them about this particular story, Fili listened up. If Balin had been there, he knew what really had happened. The old, wise dwarf was not a man of colorful words and twisted truths, so whatever he would reveal now, had to be very close to being true. Right?

And so they listened, Kili's imagination providing him with flashing images and vivid pictures, while Fili was comparing Balin's version to those he already knew.

Not a story of victory and glory, but a sad memory of loss, death and desperation.

By the time Balin had finished and the other dwarfs had fallen asleep again, the fire had died down and the mountain mists had started to circle the small camp.

Kili inched a little closer to Fili, not because he was afraid of course, no, and the occasional sound of the night did of course not scare him a little, and of course he was not tense and nervous... Of! Course!

No, it was just because he was feeling cold and his brother was fond of furry coats.

Of course.

Leaning a bit against the slightly smaller dwarf, he sighed. Fili stirred and pulled one of his bags a little closer, pulling another blanket from the leather bag, handing it to his brother. As he moved, Kili could see the silvery blades his brother kept very close by.

»What, you scared someone might attack us? Don't tell me you're afraid in the dark forests, Fili!« Kili grinned and nodded at the weapons. Fili chuckled and leaned against the stone wall behind him, closing his eyes.

»Don't worry, I'll protect you.«

»I wasn't talking about me. I mean, I am not scared.«

»Good. Me neither.«

»Not scared of darkness or trolls.«

»Me neither.«

»...talking trees?«

»No.«

»...ghosts?«

»No.«

»Orcs?«

This time, Fili did not answer, and Kili frowned. Had he fallen asleep?

»Fili?«

Slowly, Fili opened his eyes, looking at the black sky above them. He seemed to be thinking for a while, before he sighed softly and spoke.

»I guess I am scared of orcs.«

»Oh.«

Why did he have to ruin a nice, senseless game with unnecessary honesty? Kili pulled the blanket over his shoulders and kept silent for a while.

True, right after such a dramatic and obviously very true story, orcs seemed to be just a tiny little bit more dangerous than he had thought before. But Fili being scared of something just did not feel right.

Over the years, Kili had started to admire Fili like he admired Thorin. He even had invented a few stories about his older brother, most of the times to keep Mim and Glim at bay... the twins had always loved to bully him and rough him up a little when his brother was not around. After he had told them how Fili had killed a wild boar, twice his size, with his bare hands they had left him alone for a few days. Maybe because he had been particularly graphic with the description of how he had bitten off its head to safe Kili in the nick of time, riding on the wild beast.

It had just been a good story, one of many, many more to come. It was what he had always heard, great stories told about great people. And of course, for him, Fili was great enough to get his own stories. Who cared about the truth? That they had caught a rat and Fili had killed it because Kili had dared him to do it?

»Thorin is right, you know... a night raid by orcs really doesn't sound like fun.«

Kili watched his brother, thinking. He didn't remember his father. He often had asked Fili to tell him about him. When he was a child, there was always Thorin's face in his mind when he heard the word 'father'. But Fili still remembered him. Did he not die in a battle against orcs, too? Or was it against elves?

»You know... I wouldn't mind fighting some orcs. We'd easily finish them off, of course. But... not before breakfast. Your aim gets sloppy when you're hungry.«

Kili frowned, offended. A few moments passed before Fili opened one eye and grinned at him, the wicked smile he always carried on his lips when he was making fun of his younger brother. Kili laughed and elbowed him a little too hard, making his brother stifle a grunt.

»Orcs are not the brightest creatures. But with you two being so loud, they would just attack you from behind before you know it.«

The brotherly bickering stopped when Thorin's voice was carried over to them from across the slowly cooling ashes.

The grin was washed off Kili's face, he looked at the dark figure of his uncle with an uneasy feeling. Was he still angry for the carefree joke earlier? Had they been too loud, waking him?

Fili took a deep slow breath and smiled, pulling Kili against him with a firm tug.

»From what I have heard, we would have smelled them long before they could hear us. Kili would kill the first one with a clean shot between the eyes, and you would behead two of them with one strike.«

»Is that so?« Thorin asked, doubt and impatience in his voice. »And what about you? What would you do?«

»Well...« yawning, Fili closed his eyes again. »I'd continue sleeping of course.«

Thorin laughed softly, and Kili finally relaxed. So his uncle was not angry anymore, he even had laughed. Chuckling, he leaned against his brother, feeling the warmth seeping through his clothes, lulling him to sleep slowly.

Fili, however, made sure to let his fingertips brush his blades when he knew Thorin was looking.

Maybe he was not a hero like his uncle, maybe he would not be called a great name after a glorious battle. And maybe he was not a skilled archer like his reckless brother.

But he was ready any time. Even at night, even to fight orcs he feared much more than he allowed others to see. He was ready.

And he wanted Thorin to know.


End file.
